NORWICH – When Jeremy Stopford was first hired to be the City of Norwich’s special officer for dog control and parking more than 27 years ago, his starting pay was $4.43 an hour.
Since then, he’s worked under four different police chiefs and has witnessed new generations of police officers and city leaders join the community.
“I’ve enjoyed being a part of the city and being a part of all these people’s lives so very much; it’s a very close community. My colleagues, the downtown merchants and others are connections I think I will always have,” said Stopford.
This Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m., that same close community will come together to honor Stopford at the Norwich Fire Station.
Norwich Police Sgt. Gard Turner said the public is welcome to attend the retirement luncheon, which will feature a buffet and a presentation beginning at 3 p.m.
“Jeremy and I go way back,” said Turner, who is a 14 year veteran of the department. “He’s always offered a helping hand, has a great attitude and I have nothing but respect and appreciation for him. I consider him a friend.”
Turner, who recently returned to duty after having heart surgery, said Stopford often checked in on him during his recovery. “That’s just the kind of person he is,” he said.
Police Chief Joseph Angelino also offered deep appreciation for Stopford’s service.
“He’s been a steadfast, loyal employee. I know he deserves his retirement, but I hate to see it happen because he’ll be greatly missed,” said Angelino.
With the exception of Angelino, Stopford has served longer in the city police than any other current employee. The chief said having such a dedicated history with the department gave Stopford a broad familiarity with all aspects of the job and allowed him to develop wide-reaching relationships in community.
“Everyone who’s been around the city for any period of time has seen and knows who he is. He knows every dog and dog owner in the community, and still does. Everybody has gotten a parking ticket from Jeremy at one time or another,” joked Angelino, who admitted he once received a parking ticket from him, too.
Stopford’s last day on the job was Feb. 23, just before he underwent spinal fusion surgery. Following the operation, Stopford hoped to return to his job and at least complete 30 years of service.
“After eight months of recovery and nine weeks of physical therapy, the doctors determined it was physically impossible for me to pick up over 50 pounds of weight,” said Stopford.
Stopford said city employees donated months of their sick time to help him during his recovery and that in appreciation for the sacrifice, his family will be catering this weekend’s retirement dinner.
Stopford, who is 58, says he will now commit himself to volunteering in the Norwich community and dedicating himself to the Earlville Baptist Church, where he is the reverend.
Stopford recalled with joy and sadness all the people he has known since being hired June 20,1983, saying many of the community members who first welcomed him have since passed away.
“When I started working at the PD, it was before the state offered 20 or 25 year retirement for the officers, so there were lots of old timers still working,” he said. “Looking back, one of the greatest things was having the opportunity to know those guys.”
Stopford recalled many changes since he took up his role. When he started, the city still had about several hundred parking meters installed along the main streets – and today there are none. He said he only ever worked overtime on two occasions in his career – setting up for the first Colorscape and aiding in the removal and sale of the city’s parking meters.
Stopford said on a typical day he wrote about five parking tickets, but recalled one day right before Thanksgiving where he issued a record 57 parking tickets in one shift.
Stopford suffered bite wounds to his neck, arms and legs on July 23, 1986 while attempting to remove a sedated dog from the grounds of the Norwich High School.
The sick animal had fled its owner a week earlier and was acting aggressively toward the public. Stopford laced a piece of hamburger meat with a tranquilizer and after the animal seemed to fall asleep, he went to apprehend it. The dog woke up and then bit Stopford before roaming away and again falling asleep. Stopford was not seriously injured in the incident, but still carries the scars.
“If I had to offer advice to someone new coming in, it would be to remember public relations. Your boss is not the chief or the common council, through they ultimately are, your real boss is the people of Norwich. Everything we do in this small town is really about how you respect people. You need to be fair and kind. If you can do that, you’ll find yourself becoming a part of this community,” he said.